Journey's Return
by JunoInferno
Summary: The Doctor has been travelling with his daughter and new companions, Amy and Rory. A chance encounter with a TARDIS in a body helps his daughter hatch a plan to meet her mother who happens to be getting married. JE Fix-It, Doctor/Donna, a different riff on my Regarding Mrs Smith ficverse.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor or Donna or anything by Katy Perry. Okay, so when I wrote Regarding Mrs Smith, I basically had about ten different versions of the idea that Donna was having the Doctor's baby and didn't remember him. I ended up writing Regarding Mrs Smith. Then there's this story which seemed just too sad at the time, but it was always in the back of my head. Basically, take the Regarding Mrs Smith universe and just alter it from the point where the Doctor takes Donna's memories. End of Time never happened, I guess Children of Earth never happened, Ten met Amy and Rory and we're picking up around "The Doctor's Wife." It's not really going to matter so I would advise just going with it. Also, the good news about this story is that it's basically done so you should be getting all of it in the next few days barring anything unforeseen. Thank you so much, please let me know what you think and happy reading.

* * *

Zara was scared.

She didn't like to admit she was scared and would never show it. By the time she was four, she had been in more scary situations than some people had in their whole lives. There had been that bus. The time she got swallowed by the space whale. Those statues. Lizard people. That great big crack in the universe that had swallowed her up. The space shark and today's events: traveling outside the universe to look for another Time Lord and finding some weird people, the soul of the TARDIS being removed and running from the creature possessing the TARDIS. She had gotten separated from Amy and Rory more times than she could count and now the TARDIS was inside a woman!

And the woman was dying as House kept playing games with them.

"Why should I listen to you?," House asked.

"Because then I won't be able to help you. Listen to your engines. Just listen to them. You don't have the thrust and you know it. Right now I'm your only hope for getting out of your little bubble through the rift, and into my universe. And mine's the one with the food in," said the Doctor bouncing along the old stark white console room in his Chuck Taylors.

"And why would you do this?," asked House.

"You just have to promise not to kill us. That's all, just promise. "

Amy looked at the Doctor critically. "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious," said the Doctor. "I'm sure it's an entity of its word."

"Hey, hand in there, old girl," said the Doctor looking at the TARDIS woman. "It will all be over soon."

Zara looked at the TARDIS woman as Rory tried to help her. She was suffering and Zara could feel it. It was awful. She started sniffling, trying to hold back tears.

"Little orange one."

Zara looked up. The TARDIS woman was talking to her telepathically just like when she was in the box.

"Before I go, I have a plan."

"A plan?," she asked back in her mind.

"You need the loud red one."

Zara frowned. The TARDIS flashed into her mind a picture she knew.

Her mummy.

"Daddy says I never can."

"He's an idiot. When I'm home, you're going to go to her and fix her. You'll see."

The woman died and the TARDIS went back into her box, fighting and killing the House. The Doctor came to tuck in Zara as usual.

"There we are," he said, putting her toy Scallofrax beside her, "snug as a bug. Are bugs snug? Does a bug have a concept of snugness even?"

"Will you tell me about Mummy?"

The Doctor frowned. It hurt, Zara knew, but that didn't stop him and she never stopped asking.

"She was the most important woman in all creation," said the Doctor. He said it every time. "She was beautiful and brilliant and you are just like her."

Zara smiled, but the Doctor thought something was a bit off.

"Zara, did the TARDIS say something to you? You know, when she had a mouth."

Zara did what she had seen done so many times before, particularly by her father, but had never attempted before.

She lied.

"No."

"Well, sweet dreams." He gave her a kiss. "I'll see you in the morning. I have to restore the rooms House deleted."

Zara curled up in her bed, anxiously awaiting the next day.

* * *

Zara awoke the next morning ready to carry out the TARDIS' plan. Clothes had been carefully laid out for her and a knapsack was waiting. She got dressed, grabbed the knapsack and snuck out into the corridor.

"Zara!," the Doctor called, drawing out her name. "Is that you? I have banana pancakes!"

Instead of going to the kitchen, Zara made a break for it, past Amy and Rory, running to the console room.

"Zara!," the Doctor called again.

"Hey, where are you running to?," asked Amy.

"Why does she have a coat?," asked Rory, suspecting something. He turned to follow her. "Zara..."

That's when a door appeared and slammed shut, separating the console room from the corridor.

"Doctor!," she could hear Amy shout. "Something's happening!"

Zara listened to the TARDIS in her mind as the Old Girl explained how to land. It took some reaching, but she just managed. She could hear her father's sonic screwdriver whirring on the door.

"It won't work!"

"Can't you kick it or something?," asked Amy.

Rory knocked on it. "Uh, this is wood."

The Doctor sighed. "This is getting ridiculous. Zara!"

The brakes sounded as the TARDIS landed.

"Zara!," the Doctor called, beating against the door. "Zara! Stop!"

The TARDIS flashed a map in Zara's head, directions from the landing site to where she needed to be.

"I'll see you later, Daddy!"

"No! Zara, do not go outside those doors!," the Doctor shouted.

"It's okay!," she called back.

"It is not okay, Zara!"

Zara opened the door and looked out. It was chilly, no wonder the TARDIS had given her a coat and it was London: someplace Daddy never took her. They were on a busy streets full of little shops and people going about their Saturday morning. Zara shut the door to the TARDIS behind her and started off on her mission.

* * *

Back in the corridor, Rory looked at the Doctor. "What just happened?"

"Zara landed the TARDIS."

"How can she pilot the TARDIS? She's only four," asked Amy.

"Well, there is one explanation," said the Doctor.

"Which is?"

"The Old Girl told her."

"Seriously, a child lock or something," said Rory.

They waited for what seemed like an eternity and the door finally disappeared. The Doctor ran straight through the console room and to the door.

"Zara!," he shouted helplessly.

Amy and Rory were right behind him.

"What are we doing in London?," asked Amy. She caught a glance at a newspaper. "Twenty-third of November, 2013. What are we doing here?"

The Doctor looked up at the skyline and it confirmed where they were. "Not here! Anywhere but here!"

"What's so bad about London?," asked Rory.

"She's here!"

The Doctor walked off with no explanation. Amy looked at Rory and then followed the Doctor.

"Do you want to be more specific?," she called after him.

* * *

Donna Noble's radio switched on with the alarm, playing a song that gave her one of her headaches every time she heard it.

"_Your touch magnetizing, feels like I am floating, leaves my body glowing. They say, be afraid. You're not like the others, futuristic lover. Different DNA, they don't understand you."_

Grabbing her head with one hand, Donna struggled for the radio.

_"You're from a whole other world..."_

Donna knocked the radio off her night table and the plug came undone. She sighed in relief, wondering why that song had that effect. She really couldn't think of a reason she hated Katy Perry.

She looked out the window: another foggy day in London. Some wedding day.

She found that she wasn't as emotionally invested as she thought she would be in the wedding. By day's end, she would be Donna Stanley.

Something was missing.

She had such spells of depression. There were days that she couldn't bear to get out of bed and she had the feeling that today, even if it was her wedding day, might be one of them. This depression was paired with the tremendous gaps in her memory making her one hell of a mess. She was lucky to have Rupert, lucky to have any bloke really, let alone Rupert Stanley, one of the most eligible bachelors in Britain.

Then what made her so sad?

The doorbell rang.

She groaned. "Mum, can you get it?," she shouted downstairs.

There was no answer. Donna forced herself up.

"Gramps?," she called.

The doorbell rang again as Donna went downstairs. She found a note from her mum saying she and her grandfather had left to deal with some of the wedding details. The doorbell rang again. Donna headed towards the door. She opened it and was surprised to find a little ginger girl on the step. She was gorgeous really, wearing a blue wool coat and carrying a knapsack.

"Can I help you?," asked Donna, looking around for any sign of parents.

"I'm lost," she said simply.

"Oh," said Donna. "Well, come on in, love. You'll freeze out there."

She walked in.

"What's your name?," asked Donna.

"Zara."

"Zara? That's lovely. I'm Donna." She walked down the hall with Zara in tow. "Now, we can ring your mum and dad. Do you know their numbers?"

"I know my mum's," said Zara.

"Alright," said Donna, picking up her mobile. She handed it to Zara and the little girl dialed. Donna took the phone.

A tinned computer voice came on. "The British Telecom customer you have dialed is not available. Please leave a message after the tone."

"Oh, your mum hasn't set up her voice mail inbox. I haven't set mine up, either." Donna sighed. "Hi, my name is Donna Noble. I'm here with your daughter, Zara. She's fine. Ring me back and I'll let you know where to collect her from. Uh, thanks."

Donna hung up as the little girl's eyes bored holes into her. She had the most gorgeous brown eyes.

"So," said Donna, "are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Well," said Donna, "let's go into the kitchen and get you something to eat."

* * *

"Doctor!," Amy called after the Doctor.

"I'm just saying there ought to be a child lock or something on the door," said Rory. "They have them on cars."

"Not helping, Rory!," Amy hissed. "Doctor!"

They further chased after the Doctor down the high street.

"Zara!," the Doctor shouted. "Zara!"

"Doctor?," someone else called.

He spun around to see Sarah Jane Smith.

"Sarah Jane!," said the Doctor. "Sorry, bad time for a chat."

"Who's Zara?," she asked.

"What?"

"You were shouting for someone called Zara," said Sarah Jane. "New companion?"

"Not exactly," said the Doctor. "You haven't seen sort of a short ginger thing, have you?"

Sarah Jane frowned. "Like a child?"

"Yes," said the Doctor, "very much like a child."

"Why are you looking for a child?," asked Sarah Jane.

Amy and Rory caught up.

"Doctor?," asked Amy.

"I really don't have time for introductions right now..." the Doctor muttered.

Amy turned to Sarah Jane. "Hi, I'm Amy. This is my husband, Rory."

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor." Sarah Jane cast him a glance. "He also used to introduce people."

"Never mind him. Zara has run off," said Amy.

Sarah Jane smiled. "And who's Zara?"

"His daughter," said Rory.

"His what?!," Sarah Jane couldn't help but exclaim.

The Doctor walked away, partly out of his mind, partly looking to avoid another conversation he didn't want. Sarah Jane followed. Then Amy and Rory.

"Your child?," Sarah Jane exclaimed, following him down the street. "Where did you get a child from?!"

"Around," he muttered, eyes still scanning the streets.

"What do you mean around? Doctor! You're going to have to be more specific!," Sarah Jane asked in exasperation.

The Doctor looked at the people coming out of a shop when he bumped into...

"Nerys!," he exclaimed. He looked back at his three followers. "Everyone! It's Nerys!"

Nerys stopped and looked at the Doctor. "Oh, my God. It's you."

Sarah Jane sided up to the Doctor. "Hello. Sarah Jane Smith."

Amy crowded in. "Hi, Amy Pond. This is my husband, Rory."

Nerys continued looking at the Doctor. "I can't believe this. You were the one at Donna's wedding to Lance and here I see you again on Donna's wedding day."

The Doctor's face paled. "Her what?"

"Her wedding. Haven't you heard? Oh, that is so Donna. I thought you two had a thing. She's marrying Rupert Stanley."

"Who the hell is Rupert Stanley?!," shouted the Doctor. "And what happened to Shaun?!"

Nerys shook her head, oblivious to the yelling. "Oh, big scandal. Lottery winnings drive newlyweds apart. I'm surprised you didn't read about it. It was in all the tabloids."

"I remember that, they had the big court battle," said Rory.

Nerys nodded. Amy and Sarah Jane both gave him curious looks.

"Night shift, free time," said Rory.

"Rupert Stanley is one of the richest men in Britain," said Sarah Jane. "He has this company I've been looking into. I didn't realize Donna was marrying him."

The Doctor looked back to see Nerys walking away.

"I can't believe she's getting married," said the Doctor, running his hand through his hair. "Again!"

"Why should that be so difficult to believe?," asked Sarah Jane.

"It's just, she can't..." He stopped. "Sorry, I have to keep looking."

"Doctor," said Sarah Jane following him, "aren't you going to tell me where you got this child?"

"Good luck with that," said Amy. "He clams up every time."

"I don't have time to talk about this," said the Doctor. "I've lost her. She got out of the TARDIS and now the old girl won't even let me use the scanners!"

"It sounds as if you need help," said Sarah Jane. "Why don't we ring Jack?"

"What?"

"Who's Jack?," asked Amy.

"It might take him a bit to get here," said Sarah Jane. "Still, we'd have the whole Torchwood team to work with. Martha and Mickey are working there now."

"I'd rather do this on my own," said the Doctor.

"Right, there's only eight million people or so in London," said Sarah Jane.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and reviews, follows and favorites. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Donna sat across the table from Zara. She had fixed the girl a bowl of cereal and some sliced banana. It was about as domestic as she got and the girl beamed at Donna as if she had made a Michelin Star meal.

"This is really good," said Zara.

Donna shook her head. "It's nothing." She looked at her mobile again. "I'm sure your mum will be ringing soon."

"Okay," said Zara.

Donna couldn't believe the lack of response from this woman! Zara had been here ages! She was interrupted by the barking of the next door neighbor's German Shepherd. Zara shuddered.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?," asked Donna.

"Is that a dog?"

"Bruno. He lives next door. Do you not like dogs?"

Zara shook her head. "My nanny said to stay away from dogs. She was a cat."

Donna narrowed her eyes at Zara. "Your nanny was a cat?"

"When I was a baby."

Donna hoped she was misunderstanding or that Zara had one serious imagination. Of course, if she was understanding it definitely explained why Zara's negligent parents hadn't shown up.

"Well, I bet if you spent more time around dogs, you might like them. I had a dog once."

"Really?"

Donna nodded. "Yeah, I gave her away. I wish I knew what happened to her."

"Do you live alone?," asked Zara.

"No, I don't even live here anymore," said Donna. "My mum and granddad live here. They're sorting out the last bit of the wedding."

"Wedding?," Zara asked, looking concerned.

"I'm getting married," said Donna. "I'm moving into a great big mansion with my fiance."

"You're getting married?," asked Zara, looking panicked.

"Later today," said Donna. "I'm supposed to leave for the salon soon."

Zara looked sad. Donna felt a great twinge.

"We'll ring your mum again," said Donna. "Then if she doesn't turn up soon, you can just come with me to the salon."

Zara smiled. She had a beautiful smile. Where the hell was this woman? If she didn't show up soon, Donna would be tempted to take Zara for her own. She was even ginger! Rupert wouldn't be able to refuse that face!

Donna shook it off. It wasn't a realistic option.

She wanted a baby so bad. Some days she found herself in the park crying as other women pushed their babies around. Her friend Veena had just given birth to a boy. Donna had spent the better part of a weekend in her bed after the shower. It was as if there was this piece of herself that was missing and a baby was the only thing that would fix it.

What was she even marrying Rupert for?

Right. She didn't want to be alone.

"Oh, you got something on yourself," said Donna, looking at Zara. A bit of banana on her chin. Before she realized what had happened, she licked her thumb and used it to wipe away the bit of food. She was shocked at it. Was that genetically imprinted or something? Zara beamed.

* * *

"Do we have a strategy or are we just going to keep walking around shouting her name?," asked Rory.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane were walking down the street when the Doctor heard a car horn. He looked up to see a silver BMW passing. Martha grinned and waved out the window as the car parked up the road. The Doctor looked at Sarah Jane.

"Sarah?"

She shrugged. "I rang Martha."

"Yeah, probably a good idea to get some help since all we seem to be doing is wandering the pavements," said Rory.

"Another companion?," asked Amy. "It's like we're having a convention."

Suddenly, Martha, Mickey and Francine Jones of all people were coming up towards him.

"Doctor!," said Martha, giving him a hug he was unprepared for. "Am I glad to see you!"

"What's going on?," asked the Doctor.

"Sarah Jane rang us. Said you had a daughter," said Mickey. "I figured that's got to be worth seeing."

"Francine?," asked the Doctor.

"I figured the poor thing probably needed therapy," said Francine.

"We were out for brunch," Martha said apologetically. "Anyway, Jack and Ianto will be along. They had to go investigate something at Stanley Industries. New friends?"

"Amy Pond. This is my husband, Rory."

"She's changing her name," said Rory.

"At some point," said Amy.

"Well, I'm Martha, this is my husband, Mickey-"

"Your what?!," the Doctor exclaimed.

"We did invite you," said Martha. "I left a message."

"Wait! Stanley Industries?," asked the Doctor. He turned back to Sarah Jane. "Donna's Stanley? Why didn't you say anything?!"

"That was fifteen minutes ago!," said Sarah Jane. "I didn't know Torchwood was looking into him as well."

"Yeah, you might try answering your voice mail," said Mickey.

"I never set it up," the Doctor muttered.

"We did call," Martha added.

"I never got a message!," said the Doctor.

"Wait, I wrote that down on a sticky," said Rory. "Donna, marrying man with mysterious company, should we be concerned?"

"Thanks, Rory," the Doctor grumbled.

"I wrote it down. I can't help if you don't look at it," Rory said plaintively.

"Why are you so bothered about who Donna marries?," asked Francine.

The Doctor stiffened. "She's my friend," said the Doctor.

"Maybe it's not who she's marrying at all," said Francine. "Maybe it's that she's getting married."

"Doctor?," asked Martha.

The Doctor walked away. Martha and Sarah Jane exchanged glances.

"Didn't you say your daughter was ginger?," asked Sarah Jane.

"This Donna is ginger?," asked Amy.

"Doctor?," Martha repeated.

The companions all exchanged furtive glances as they began to draw a conclusion.

"Oh, you better get back here!," Amy shouted. She started after him. "This Donna! Is she Zara's mother?!"

He didn't respond.

"I said there was something going on," said Sarah Jane. "You owe me a tenner, Martha."

"Doctor!," Martha called, hurrying after the Doctor. The others formed a trail behind her. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

* * *

_"Boy, you're an alien. Your touch so foreign. It's supernatural. Extraterrestrial..."_

Donna grimaced at the song. She was going to have to listen to Classic FM at this rate.

"Is this song about aliens?," Zara asked from the backseat.

_"You're so supersonic, wanna feel your powers, stun me with your lasers, your kiss is cosmic..."_

"Well..." Donna blushed. This was seriously not an appropriate song for a small child. She changed the station.

"Do you like aliens?"

"What?," asked Donna. "You don't believe all that, do you?"

"Believe what."

"Well, you probably weren't even born yet," said Donna. "My friends tried telling me there were these planets in the sky and pepper pots roaming the streets. I seriously doubt it. Oh, here we are!"

Donna parked her Peugeot and got Zara from the back. Beaming, Zara took her hand as they walked into the salon.

"Sorry to drag you along," said Donna. "I just hope your mum rings back soon. I've got to get my hair done."

"Oh, look at this!," said the receptionist. "Mum and daughter at the salon together! How nice!"

"Oh, no, no, no," said Donna, "we're not-"

Donna stopped speaking. The sentence came out of her mouth so quickly. No, no, no. Never ever. Ending with something else? She had a sudden flash of that man. That friend of her grandfather's. Suddenly, her head hurt. Not another one! Not today of all days!

Donna realized that Zara was holding her hand and the headache had gone away. She shook it off and looked at the girl.

"Is it better?," Zara asked timidly.

"Yes, yes, it is," said Donna, totally confused. "How did you know my head hurt?"

"Would you like something?," asked the receptionist.

"No," said Donna, shaking it off, "uh, appointment for Donna Noble."

Donna was shown into the salon quickly. Being the fiancee of Mister Stanley did have its benefits. Zara sat in the chair next to her, absorbed in watching her.

"Here, love," said Donna. "Come sit on my lap."

The girl grinned as she bounded into Donna's lap. Donna had no idea why she wanted to be so close to the girl. Probably hormones. She just wanted to cuddle the girl to death and she didn't seem to mind. Needless to say, the mother was going to think she was a total nutter when she finally did show up. Donna might have a few choice words for her as well. Who didn't answer their bloody mobile when their child was missing? Donna would have been ill by now or would have torn apart half of London. She did that a lot, thought about what she would do with her own baby. Lullabies, walks in the park, shopping trips to pick up more cute clothes.

Suddenly, she had another flash. In the days after the business with the planets in the sky- not that she remembered a bit of it- she had just been totally out of her mind, looking in every baby carriage she had passed, causing no shortage of awkward moments with the mothers. She had even looked in a maternity ward, not certain why. Why had she been looking at all the babies? She had managed to stop, only just. Or at least to make it not so noticeable. Donna realized that she hadn't done that all morning. She felt another headache coming on and watched as Zara quickly took her hand.

"Is it better?"

"Yes," said Donna. "How are you doing that?"

She shrugged.

"Okay!," said the stylist. "How do we like it?!"

Donna looked in the mirror. She had been given the standard updo, almost the same exact one her mother had insisted upon when she married Shaun, a harbinger of things to come that day.

"Zara, what do you think?," asked Donna.

Zara looked in the mirror then turned back around to face Donna. "I don't like it."

"Yeah," agreed Donna, "it's bloody awful."

The stylist scowled and took down the bun.

* * *

"There's nothing to tell!," the Doctor shouted as his parade of companions followed him down the high street.

"I don't think so!," said Amy. "Is this Donna Zara's mother? Yes or no?"

"Doctor..." Martha added.

"Of course she is," said Francine from the back of the pack.

"Sorry?," asked the Doctor.

"Doctor," said Martha, "Mum has been seeing Donna."

"Seeing her how?"

"She's my patient," said Francine.

The Doctor frowned. "Your patient?"

"I'm a psychiatrist," said Francine. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Donna was in bad shape after the Dalek Crucible," said Martha. "Wilf and Sylvia were worried. They asked for help. We couldn't risk anyone trying to dig out her memories, so I asked Mum to help."

"It all makes sense now," said Francine. "You took her baby from her."

"Francine, I-"

"She was devastated! She spent a month in her bed! Did you know that? Every time she sees a baby, she has to look at it up close! I get it now, she was looking for her baby."

"Doctor, is this true?," asked Martha.

Francine looked at the Doctor and shook her head. "You have some nerve."

Amy stared at the Doctor in devastation. "How could you do that, Doctor?"

"What the hell was I supposed to do?!," the Doctor shouted, attracting the attention of the passers by. "She will die if she ever remembers me! Guess what? Zara is half me! I did it to save her life! I won't apologize for that."

"Okay," said Sarah Jane, "let's focus on finding Zara. Then we can sort out something to help Donna."

"There is nothing that can help," said the Doctor.

"Tried everything then, have you?," asked Martha.

"Martha, you don't know how hard I've tried."

"But have you tried everything?," she insisted.

"I'd just like to find my daughter," said the Doctor.

"Have you told her what you just told us?," asked Francine. "Does she know?"

"I've told her about her mother," the Doctor said flatly.

"Doctor, why did you come here today?," asked Sarah Jane.

"I didn't," he said with a grimace.

"Zara brought us," said Rory.

"The TARDIS! I bet that's what she said to Zara," said Amy. "The TARDIS planned this whole thing."

"What do you mean what she said to Zara?," asked Mickey.

"Oh, the TARDIS was in this woman," said Rory. "It was a long day yesterday."

"Priorities, we need to get to that wedding," said Sarah Jane. "It might be good to know where it is."

"And how do we do that?," asked the Doctor.

"Well, let me just put my investigative skills to use," said Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane walked inside a news agent's.

"What's she doing?"

"Uh, getting the paper?," asked Rory.

"So," said Amy, turning to Martha, "which one are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, but I did just order a travel mug with the Tenth Doctor on it. Thank you so much for the reads and reviews, I really do love getting them. Please keep letting me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Donna led Zara through the lobby of Claridge's.

"I like my nails," said Zara waving her hands to better examine her sparkly blue nail varnish.

Donna nodded. It had seemed a shame to just have Zara sit there while she got worked over. The girl was so excited and grateful, saying her dad never let her play makeup like her friend, Amy.

"Question is, what will your mum think when she sees?," asked Donna.

"Well, what do you think?," she asked as they got in the lift.

"Well," said Donna, "I don't suppose there's any harm in someone your age having some nail varnish and maybe some lip balm. You're a pretty girl, you don't need the rest of it until you're much older."

"Okay," said Zara.

They got off the lift and went down the hall to the suite. Donna opened the door to see her fiancé.

"Rupert," said Donna, surprised to see him waiting. "It's bad luck."

"I couldn't wait to see you," said Stanley. He eyed Zara. "Who is this?"

"This is Zara. She's lost. I'm helping her." Donna realized Zara was holding her hand tightly.

"Don't you think this is a matter best left to the police?"

Donna's jaw dropped. "Well, I can't have her hanging around a police station with all the prossies and drug addicts! Her mum's going to ring me back any moment. I'm sure of it."

"Well, excuse me, I have some things to see to," he said, his eye on Zara.

Stanley walked out. Donna looked at Zara.

"I don't think he's nice," said Zara.

"Well, you just have to get to know him..."

"I don't think he's nice at all."

Donna sighed. "You don't... Zara, guess how old I am?"

"Forty-three."

"Forty... wait, that was a good guess."

Zara smiled.

"Anyway, I'm forty-three. I've been married once for one night and this is my third engagement. You get to be my age and there's only so many people who would want to marry someone like me."

"But you're brilliant!," said Zara.

"Zara, you barely know me. I've never even had a proper job. I live off the winnings from a lottery ticket that someone gave me as a wedding present. I don't even know who. Well, half the winnings, Shaun got half."

"Who's Shaun?"

"He was my husband for about twelve hours."

Donna saw Zara looking at her inquisitively. She sat on the sofa and patted next to her. Zara grinned and leapt up.

"You know the story of Cinderella, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, imagine if at the end of that story, Cinderella and Prince Charming are off to their honeymoon, they get off their plane in Ibiza and arrive at their resort for the all-inclusive package holiday the Prince and Cinderella scrimped and saved for and they are in their room when Cinderella goes, 'I can't do this even though you've been waiting months. I don't love you.'"

"Do what?"

Donna's face dropped. "Well, be married mostly and some other stuff..."

"What happened next?"

"Well, things got more awkward when the resort didn't have an available room for the Prince to spend the rest of the night in. Then things got more awkward when Cinderella found out that the airline wanted to charge her a thousand quid to change her return flight. So, they had to stay in Ibiza in the same room, until Cinderella realized she won the lottery and that's when the court case began."

"Then what happened?"

"Cinderella wanted to give him half and shake hands, but Prince Charming had it in his head that there was someone else and wanted to know who so he went to court."

"Who?"

Donna shook her head. "There wasn't anyone. I wish there was sometimes. I wish there was anything about me that was special..."

"You're special," said Zara.

She shook her head. "That's nice of you to say, sweetheart, but..." Donna smiled, eager to change the subject. "Now, would you like to see my wedding gown?"

"Yes!," said Zara clapping her hands together with enthusiasm.

* * *

Back on the other side of London, the Doctor stood apart from his companions outside a newsagent's waiting for Sarah Jane. Mickey and Rory sat on the pavement sharing a bag of biscuits.

Amy leaned down. "Are you done sharing war stories, boys?"

The men chose to ignore her.

"So, everyone thought you had killed her?," asked Rory.

"Yeah, then I was stuck in a parallel world with her," said Mickey. He looked back at the Doctor. "Lot of fun, let me tell you!"

"Okay, Mickey..." said Martha, rolling her eyes.

"What about you?," Mickey asked Rory.

"I died, wasn't ever born, was Roman and plastic and sat outside a big box for two thousand years guarding her," said Rory.

Mickey considered this.

"You definitely win, mate," he said handing him the bag of biscuits.

Amy walked over to the Doctor.

"You're brooding," she said.

"I am not brooding."

"You're going to have to tell us something sooner or later."

He looked at her desperately. "I tried, Amy. I tried."

Amy nodded, sensing the Doctor just needed someone to listen. "I believe you."

The Doctor looked away again. "At the end of today, I'm going to have to take Zara away from her mother again and it is going to break her hearts and she is going to hate me for it. And I will hate myself more than I already do."

Amy glanced back at Rory and considered something.

"This Donna. Would you wait two thousand years for her?"

The Doctor looked at Amy. "There hasn't been and will never be a box built that could hold Donna Noble."

"Suppose someone did and suppose you had to wait two thousand years for her, would you?"

"In a heartbeat."

"You have two."

"I only need one."

Sarah Jane emerged from the shop with the papers.

"Okay," said Sarah Jane, "the paper says that the wedding is to take place at Claridge's."

"Great," said Amy, "we'll get Zara and stop the wedding."

"You're certain she'll be there?," asked Martha.

"Oh, Zara will be there," said Amy.

"We'll just get Zara," said the Doctor.

"No, then we'll sort out how we're going to fix Donna's memory," said Martha.

"Martha-"

"I'm not listening to any arguments, Mister. We can't let her continue on like this," said Martha.

"Or you," said Amy. "Or Zara, for that matter."

Amy and Martha looked at each other, nodding in agreement. A Land Rover pulled up beside them and the window rolled down to reveal Jack.

"Hello, Doctor!," said Jack. "Long time no see!"

The Doctor looked positively in pain. Jack looked at Amy.

"Hello. Captain Jack Harkness. And you are?"

"Amy Pond."

Rory got up off the pavement. "Williams! I'm her husband!"

"So," said Jack, "what are we all doing here on a nice Saturday morning?"

"Basically, the Doctor and Donna had a baby-" Martha began.

"Baby!" Jack looked at Sarah Jane. "I knew I smelled Time Baby! You owe me twenty quid!"

"Well, Martha owes me a tenner," said Sarah Jane as she continued to read the paper.

"What is with all the bets?," asked Rory.

Jack shrugged. "You had to be there."

"Do you mind?," asked Amy. "Zara's missing and we need to find her and we need to stop Donna's wedding!"

"To Rupert Stanley?," asked Jack. "Yeah, that might be for the best."

"Why?," asked the Doctor.

"Oh, no problem if you happen to like a man trying to breed the a genetically superior race," said Ianto from inside the car. He leaned forward. "Sorry, sir. Ianto Jones."

"What do you mean?," asked the Doctor.

"He means we just had to fight off a whole gang of supermen to get here," said Jack. "Not what I wanted to do with them, believe me."

"Doctor?," asked Amy.

"I know what he wants with Donna!," said the Doctor. "We've got to stop that wedding!"

"Oh, now we've got to stop the wedding!," said Amy,

The Doctor got into the back of the Land Rover, quickly followed by Amy and Rory.

"We'll meet you at Claridge's!," Martha shouted as the others went back to her car.

* * *

Donna came out of the suite's bedroom in the wedding dress. She spun around as Zara clapped.

"Oi, let's not get too crazy, miss," said Donna. "It's just me. I know, I know, too much money, especially for a fourth, sorry, third wedding." Donna froze. "God, am I losing count? That's a whole new level of pathetic."

Zara walked over and grzaed her fingers over the rhinestones on the corset. "It's so pretty."

"Not too much bling?," asked Donna. "I don't want somebody to mistake me for someone on 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.'"

"You're beautiful," said Zara.

"Oh, stop," said Donna. She looked at Zara's outfit. She was wearing a fancy dress, almost like a little bridesmaid's, white poofy skirt and a blue top. Incredibly deep blue. "Zara, you just had that in your knapsack?"

"Yes." Zara walked up and took her hand. "Does your dress have pockets?"

"Pockets?," Donna asked with a smile.

"My daddy tells me a story about a bride who didn't have any pockets."

There was another flash. Her standing in an alley, shouting. "Pockets?! Who ever heard of a bride with pockets?! When I went to my fitting at Chez Allison, the one thing I forgot to say was 'Give me pockets!'"

Zara reached for her hand again. Donna realized with some embarrassment that she had been saying those words out loud.

"Yeah..." said Donna. "You know what might be fun while we're all dressed up? Ordering high tea off the room service menu. Like princesses? Do you like that idea?"

"Yes!"

Donna went to get the menu.

"I had tea with Queen Elizabeth the Tenth!"

Donna frowned. "Do you mean the second?"

"No."

Donna turned back to Zara. "Yeah, but there is no Elizabeth the Tenth."

"Not yet."

Donna pondered that as Rupert entered with two men in police uniforms. Donna shook her head as they approached.

"Rupert, what are they doing here?," asked Donna.

"This has gone far enough," said Rupert. "You need to let the police take over and focus on our wedding day."

"No," said Donna. "There's no need for this. I bet Zara's mum has already rung! My mobile's been off."

She hurried towards her bag. Zara followed, looking skeptically at the men. Donna took her phone out of her bag. "Look! Missed calls!"

"It doesn't matter, Donna," said Rupert.

"Let me have a listen!," she snapped. She put her phone to her ear and listened to the missed calls.

From her.

Saying her daughter was with her.

Donna got a flash. She was lying in some posh hospital, unable to move, a ginger baby laid on her chest, the evidence of birth still on her and stared up at her with big, brown eyes.

Those eyes were staring at her now, pleading with her.

The policeman went to grab Zara..

"Get your hands off her!," Donna shouted.

"Donna," said Rupert.

"Let her go! Just leave her alone!"

The policemen looked to Rupert. Donna hurried into the fray, grabbing Zara back and fighting off the policemen. Her head hurt. It really bloody hurt and everything was in a golden haze, but she had to keep going. She knew it.

"Get your hands off my baby!," Donna shouted.

Suddenly, the policemen and Rupert fell to the ground. Zara ran and hugged her.

"What just happened?," asked Donna.

"Psychic energy burst," said Zara.

Donna didn't have a clue what that meant, but fine. It wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment. "Okay, how are you my baby? I don't remember you."

The men groaned. Donna looked back at Zara.

"Okay, no time for explanations," said Donna. "Get your things."

Donna grabbed her bag and put her coat on over her wedding dress. She looked at Zara who had her knapsack and was holding her coat.

"Put on your coat!," Donna shouted. "I'll not have you catching cold, even if I have no idea where you came from!"

Donna helped her with the coat, then grabbed her hand and went running out of the room.

They hurried down the stairs and into the lobby. Donna ran with her to the valet stand.

"Hi, I need my car," said Donna.

"Do you have your ticket?," asked the young man.

"No! It's the only bloody Peugeot in the car park! How hard is that to find?!"

"Donna!," she heard Rupert shout.

"Never mind," said Donna, rushing towards the Aston Martin that had just pulled up. She pushed the befuddled owner aside and shoved Zara in. She got in, shut the door and peeled away just as Stanley and the policemen were coming out.

"Get in the backseat and fasten your seatbelt," Donna said to Zara.

"You can drive fast, Mummy," Zara said as she climbed into the back.

"Yeah," said Donna. "This car's a bit quick, isn't it? More to the point, why don't I remember you? Or your dad? That might be nice to know!"

"He took me away," said Zara. "I wanted to find you and he said no."

"I'll kill him," Donna muttered. "Okay, Mummy's going to think up a plan. I've got to get you somewhere safe. I do not want to go to jail in my wedding dress..."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thank you so much for the reviews and reads! Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

The Torchwood Land Rover pulled up to Claridge's amidst all the police cars. A man was frantically discussing his stolen Aston. The Doctor ran in followed by Amy, then Rory, then Jack and Ianto.

"Doctor!," Amy shouted. "Where are we going?!"

The Doctor stopped and turned around to face Rory, Jack and Ianto. "Right. Does anyone know where we're going?"

Rory looked around. "Uh, third floor."

"What? How do you know that?"

Ianto pointed. "Because there's a sign there that says Stanley-Noble wedding, ballroom, third floor."

"Thank you," said Rory. He motioned at Ianto. "Finally, someone else who reads."

Just then, Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane and Francine came up the stairs.

"Why are you just standing here?!," Martha shouted.

The Doctor started again, racing up the grand stairs two at a time. His brigade raced up after him, trying to keep pace with the Time Lord. He raced until the ballroom and threw open the double doors and shouted as loud as he could, "Stop the wedding!"

The guests who were having cocktails stopped and turned to him. Across the room, they saw Sylvia Noble cover her face in shame.

"No wedding... yet..." the Doctor mused.

Wilf and Sylvia came over.

"What the hell are you doing here?!," Sylvia hissed. "Where's Donna?"

"What? How do I know where Donna is?," asked the Doctor. "Wait, why don't you know where Donna is?"

"She stole a car," said Wilf.

"She stole a car?," the Doctor asked with huge eyes. He looked at Martha. "She stole a car!"

"I heard, I was here," said Martha.

"This is worse than the assault charge," said Sylvia.

"Assault charge?!," the Doctor shrieked.

"I am liking this Donna better and better," said Amy. "Way better than that blonde you told me about."

Martha looked at the Doctor. "Are you still going on about her?"

"She asked!" The Doctor turned to Wilf. "Did she have a little girl with her?"

Wilf nodded. "We haven't seen her today. Rupert told us. A little girl? What's going on?"

"He's stolen her daughter from her, that's what!," added Francine.

Wilf and Sylvia looked gobsmacked.

"Doctor..." said Wilf.

"You didn't need to know," said the Doctor.

"Didn't need to know?!," Sylvia shrieked.

"She couldn't remember me, she couldn't remember her, there was no need to create more suffering," the Doctor said with disdain.

"I needed to know I had a grandchild!," said Sylvia. "Where's the father in all this?"

"Wow," said Jack, shaking his head, "just wow."

"Well, that's a bit awkward," said Rory.

That was enough. The Doctor finally let go. He had been holding back so long.

"I'm the father!," said the Doctor. "Because guess what? I fell in love with your daughter, Sylvia. Your kind and wonderful and beautiful, most important woman in the universe daughter who you always let think she wasn't good enough, we were in love!"

The companions were in amazement at the sudden outburst from the day's taciturn Doctor.

"Rupert Stanley, four o'clock," said Ianto.

The Doctor looked up to see the arrival of Stanley.

"Am I interrupting something?," he asked.

"Yeah," said Amy.

"Are you friends of Donna's?," he asked. "This is a formal wedding."

"And that's a crap suit," added Ianto.

"I'm the Doctor," said the Doctor, stepping toe to toe with Stanley.

"Doctor who?"

"What you want with Donna: it's not happening. You should walk away now before someone gets hurt."

"I don't take kindly to threats, Doctor."

"I don't make threats," said the Doctor.

The standoff was interrupted by the sound of Wilf's mobile playing "Applause" by Lady Gaga.

"Oh, Dad, you didn't put it on silent?," asked Sylvia.

"Seriously, that's what you're worried about?," asked Rory.

Sylvia wrinkled her nose at him. "Who are you?!"

"It's Donna," said Wilf. He answered it. "Hello? Where are you, sweetheart?"

Rory pointed at Stanley. "Do we maybe want to have this conversation away from him?"

"No matter," said Stanley. "My people have all your phones tapped. We'll be honing in on her location any moment."

"I'll call you back, love," said Wilf, hanging up.

"Okay, that's enough," said Amy. She grabbed a vase off the nearest centerpiece and lobbed it at Stanley's head. He dropped to the ground unceremoniously.

"I like her," said Jack.

"Well, come on!," said Amy. "We can't just stand here!"

Lots of cross men in suits began to appear.

"I should mention they look a lot like the other clones we saw at the factory," said Jack.

"Clones?!," asked Rory.

"No, I don't think we can stay," said the Doctor. "Wilf, Sylvia, we'll talk later. Okay, everyone, basically, run!"

* * *

In the stolen Aston Martin, Donna was furious.

"He hung up on me!," Donna shouted. "I just stole a car and my grandfather hung up on me! Ran away from my wedding and stole a car and he hung up on me! What do I have to do?!"

"Stop here, Mummy," Zara pleaded.

Donna looked up. She had driven all the way back to Chiswick and they were in front of St. Mary's.

"Really?"

"Yes, here!"

"What? You think I'm going to be able to claim sanctuary?"

"Mummy..."

"Okay, okay," said Donna. She pulled the car over and got out. She helped Zara out of the back and set the alarm.

"What am I setting this for? It's not my car! Do you think if it gets stolen again I'm in more or less trouble?" She looked as Zara rummaged through her knapsack and brought out a cube with funny squibbles on the side. She closed her eyes as it began changing colors.

"What are you doing?," asked Donna.

"Sending a message," said Zara. She held her hand out and Donna watched in amazement as the little box flew away.

"What..." Donna stared as the box disappeared down the street. "What..."

"Come on, Mummy!," Zara shouted as she hurried up the church steps.

Donna gathered her skirt and went after the girl. "We are going to have to talk about the meaning of walking because seriously this is an outrageous amount of running!"

Donna went inside. Zara had finally stopped.

"Do you know what this is?," asked Zara.

"Yeah, I was supposed to get married here once," said Donna. "Didn't work out."

She sat on the altar. Zara sat with her and laid her head on Donna's lap.

Donna was surprised by how quickly she began stroking her fingers through the girl's hair and by how natural it felt.

"You're gorgeous, you know," said Donna. Zara gazed up at her curiously. "My mum never said nice things like that when I was your age and I think it may have caused me problems, so I just wanted to tell you. Your dad. Does he tell you things like that?"

"He tells me I'm the most beautiful girl in the universe."

Donna smiled. "Well, that's something, isn't it?"

"Because I look like you."

Donna frowned. "If your dad likes me so much, why did he take you away?"

"Because he was being dumb. That's what the TARDIS told me."

"The TARDIS?"

"This was her idea."

"TARDIS..." Donna's head hurt again. Zara grabbed her hand and it stopped.

"What are you doing?," Donna asked.

Zara shrugged.

"Does your dad talk about me?," Donna prodded.

"Yes." Zara turned to look at Donna. "It makes him sad."

"Why does it make him sad?"

"Because he misses you."

Donna shook her head. "I don't understand. I don't even know who we're talking about."

"You'll see. I sent him a message. He's coming."

"You don't make any sense," Donna said with a smile. "It's nice."

* * *

The Doctor ran down the emergency exit stairs, the companion parade following.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!," the Doctor shouted. "Blimey, this is why I don't keep that many of you..."

Amy shot him a look and turned back. "Rory! Keep up!"

"I think Jack's dead!," he said.

"He's fine!," the Doctor shouted.

"Oh, never mind," said Rory.

Jack came down followed by a slightly dazed Rory.

"He came back from the dead..." said Rory.

"Yeah," said the Doctor, pushing Rory out of the way as he locked the door with the sonic screwdriver, "he does that sometimes. What? Did you think you were the only one?"

They ran back out to the valet stand.

"Wait," said Amy, "where are we going now?"

"I can hack into Stanley's mainframe," Mickey suggested. "We can see if we can get a location on Donna's call from her mobile."

Ianto shook his head. "His system's much too sophisticated. We had to break through five different subroutines to open the door to the factory. We would never get to her before he did."

Martha looked at the Doctor. "What does he want with Donna, anyway? Is it something to do with the metacrisis?"

"No," said the Doctor.

"Then what is it?," asked Amy.

"Also, what's a metacrisis?," asked Rory.

"There was this thing with a hand in a jar and there was another him," said Jack. "Long story short, Donna saved the universe. Well, reality. Like everything."

Amy turned back to the Doctor. "She saved reality? And you said thank you by wiping her memory and taking her baby away?"

"That is not what happened," said the Doctor.

"Sort of sounds like it," said Martha. "Also sounds a bit crap."

"We can do recriminations later," said Sarah Jane. "We still need to find Donna."

The Doctor spotted the psychic container whirring and spinning its way into the hotel drive. The other guests yelped and screamed as they jumped out of the way. The Doctor's face lit into an enormous grin.

He leapt on top of a nearby Ferrari as the owner screamed at him in a foreign tongue. He jumped and grabbed the box, looking back at the waiting companions with a smile.

"My girl is brilliant! Oh, clever, very clever. She takes after me. Well, and her mother..."

The irate Russian continued shouting.

"Uh, Doctor, you might want to get off there..." said Rory.

The Doctor looked at the man. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?!"

"Also, I think Stanley and his men may have broken through those locks..." said Ianto.

"Why's that?"

"Because they're running through the lobby."

"Oh, right," said the Doctor, watching Stanley come with a bump on the head and a group of supermen. "Allons-y!"


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Or Journey's End. Or End of Time. If I did, they would have gone totally different and I wouldn't have to shout at the TV every time I see either of those is coming on. So, apologies, I said barring anything unforeseen I would have this story out? Yeah, the unforeseen was that I got the stomach flu, so, yeah. This chapter was also largely unplanned before then so, yeah. Thanks again for your reads and reviews. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

"Donna, I was just going," said the Doctor.

She looked at him like a stranger. She looked at him with about as much interest as someone would have in her grandfather's friend who she had never heard of before and likely never would again. Why had he walked in here? Why did he want her to look at him? He had disappeared so many times before without a second thought for those left waiting and that was one thing Donna Noble would never be. Donna Noble would never be waiting for the Doctor. Donna Noble would never search for him. Donna Noble would never pass dull nights reminiscing about the days she traveled the stars in a blue box.

"Yeah, see ya," said Donna.

She turned back to her phone call and the Doctor left wishing he had been stabbed instead. Oh, Wilf promised to look for him and while the Doctor appreciated the younger man's gesture, it was weak consolation.

He walked back into the TARDIS dripping wet and took off his jacket. He started the controls and as if what had happened inside the Noble house wasn't bad enough, the cries began.

Once he was securely in the Vortex, he made his way to the nursery where Zara stood red-faced. Her cries had given way to full-fledged screams. He plucked her up and pulled her next to him, rocking her as she pounded her tiny fists against him.

"I'm sorry, Zara," he said. "I'm so sorry. That is all I could give you."

* * *

He didn't know that inside the house, Donna has stopped chatting away on the phone and hung up without saying goodbye.

Donna walked towards the front door.

"Donna?," asked Sylvia.

Donna opened the front door and saw nothing but the sky pouring down.

"Donna?," Sylvia asked worried.

"Did you hear someone?," Donna asked.

"No," Sylvia said quickly.

"What sort of sound, sweetheart?," Wilf asked, hoping for a miracle.

Donna stepped out down the steps and onto the pavement, not caring about the rain.

"Crying," said Donna. "Did anyone else hear crying?"

"No," said Sylvia.

"How could you not? It was deafening."

* * *

The Doctor soon discovered that Zara took after him.

Well, he wasn't certain if it was taking after him or staging some sort of civil protest. There had come a point when she had to stop crying just because of the exhaustion. On a revitalized New Earth, while the Doctor looked for a treatment for Donna's condition, Zara had been a happy if cheeky baby. While he had worked, she had been looked after by her nanny, Clemency Crawley nee Kincade Brannigan, the very kitten he had held many years earlier. Clemency had kittens of her own and had looked after Zara alongside them out of gratitude. The arrangement had worked well, though the Doctor had worried when Zara began licking her arm to clean her face. He supposed these things were unavoidable when you let a cat babysit. With Novice Hame's help, using medical techniques he didn't ask questions about where they came from, he could get Donna conscious for a few minutes at first. At the birth, she had become conscious all on her own and for a moment, the Doctor held out hope that the baby's regenerative energy had been enough. She was awake long enough to call Zara by her name and to smile at him weakly and call him "Spaceman." Then it all suddenly went bad and she had to be sent back to sleep.

The Doctor would labor again and she might be awake for a few minutes, then a few hours and then one time a whole day.

One day.

Kazran Sardick had looked in his eyes and asked, "Could you do it? Could you do this? Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?"

The Doctor had been ready to answer, "The one I'll never have." Abigail had awakened and saved him the trouble.

One day was as good as it got. Novice Hame's panel of experts were sure to tell him this and in time, he was forced to conclude the same. So he took her back to her family.

Then he sat with Zara in the TARDIS as she refused to eat. The TARDIS had nutritional supplements that could be administered, she was never in any danger. He even tried taking her back to New Earth for a visit, joining Clemency and her family on a holiday to the New New Hamptons, to see if the seaside and the kittens could lift her mood.

They didn't.

So the Doctor was forced to bargain.

He held a banana in front of Zara. "Half of this and we can see her. That's all I can do. She can't ever remember us, but we can look at her from across the road or something. I'm sorry. That's it."

Zara grudgingly started chewing.

They watched as Donna argued with a traffic attendant from a bench across the road. Zara giggled from her pushchair. The Doctor couldn't help but grin. When had he last grinned?

Then he saw a man come to meet her.

And he kissed her.

He took Zara back to the TARDIS as they disappeared into a shop. Zara was finally forced to admit she was hungry so he was able to feed her. That part of the plan had worked.

Time Lords were meant to have control over every base instinct. Jealousy was one of them. Seeing his wife with another man, that would drive a Time Lord to madness or worse. It took him days before he could compose himself enough to go see Wilfred at his newsstand.

"Doctor, you've come back," said Wilfred. "Have you found a way to fix her?"

He shook his head. "Has she-" He stammered. "Is she...?"

Wilf looked at him confused.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Is Donna seeing anyone? I just need to know for this... this thing and I can't look it up because..." _Because if I look it up and find out who he is and how her life went it is the last time I can ever see her again._

"Shaun Temple. They're engaged." Wilf leaned forward. "Is he in some sort of trouble?"

The Doctor wanted to answer with something pithy about whether or not Wilf thought the wrath of a Time Lord was trouble but instead sounded out the word "No" for about fifty seconds until Wilf asked if he was having some sort of fit.

"No, no, no, no," said the Doctor. He closed his eyes and tried to think of what Donna would do if their situations were reversed. "Is he nice? Is she happy?"

"Yeah, he's sweet enough. He's a bit of a dreamer. Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes I see this look on her face, like she's so sad, but she can't remember why. "

"Yeah..." said the Doctor. "She's got him, then."

"She's making do."

"Aren't we all?"

"Yeah, how about you? Who have you got now?"

The Doctor froze and looked up at Wilf. "Right. My friend, Martha, have you called her?"

"Yes, bless her, she helped us-"

"Would you let her know when the wedding is?," the Doctor asked, cutting him off. "Have her ring me and tell me."

"Are you thinking of coming?"

"No, no, she can't... just the date. I can't look it up or... well, just have Martha tell me."

The Doctor returned to the TARDIS before Wilf could say much more.

* * *

Then one day after Christmas dinner with Jackson Lake, Martha's voice had suddenly rung through the TARDIS.

"Doctor? It's Martha."

She paused as the Doctor looked at Zara.

"I was hoping you'd pick up this time. I guess that was daft. Anyway, I'm sure you're off doing something, but Wilf called me and Donna's wedding is set for the twentieth of March. That's 2010." She paused again. "Would you ring me back, Doctor? I have something I need to ask you."

* * *

The Doctor made another trip with Zara. To the park where Geoffrey Noble was about to die.

He found the man sitting on a bench feeding the ducks. Zara completely shocked him by running up to him.

"Grampy!," she said, throwing her arms around him.

Geoffrey chuckled. "I'm sorry, love, I think you have me confused with someone." He looked up at the Doctor and his jaw dropped. "It's you."

The Doctor sat down next to him. "Hello, Geoffrey." He positioned Zara back on his lap.

"Is she yours?," Geoffrey asked.

"Yes, she- Zara!"

Zara wasn't having it. She reached to hug her grandfather again. Geoffrey looked at the Doctor and back at Zara.

Geoffrey laughed. "My Donna was the same when..." His voice trailed off. "My Donna was just the same. My Donna was the same exact."

"Sorry," the Doctor stammered, "this isn't going how I planned."

"What's going on?"

The Doctor did something he rarely did.

He told the truth.

Well, a lot of the truth.

"This is Donna's daughter."

"Donna doesn't have a daughter."

"I'm a time traveler."

"Time traveler?"

"You're going to have to take my word for it. Donna's going to find me-"

"Find you?"

"Yeah, she's looking for me and we are going to fall in love and... this is Zara."

"Why are you here? Where's Donna?"

"She's not here, I mean, she is here, somewhere, but not here with me. She's fine, really, I promise-"

"Why-" Geoffrey paused. He was working it out, the Doctor could tell. "Why would you bring my granddaughter here now if, wouldn't that interfere with- you thought she couldn't recognize me. Why did you-"

"I'm sorry, Geoffrey."

Geoffrey nodded. "When?"

"Soon."

"Define soon."

"Before you leave the park. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying any of this, but things have gotten a bit hectic lately..."

"Why are you here?"

"I need to borrow a quid."

"So time travel doesn't pay well, then?"

The Doctor was forced to crack a smile. "No, in fact, it doesn't. The money's for Donna."

Geoffrey got out his wallet and handed him a quid. "I should hope so. This is a lot of trouble to go through for a quid, don't you think?"

"Oh, so all the sass doesn't come from Sylvia, does it?"

Geoffrey chuckled. "No. The Nobles are well known for their sass and their hair color." He motioned at Zara. "You'll need to keep an eye on this one. She's trouble, I can tell."

"Well, that doesn't bode well..." said the Doctor, thinking of how much trouble he was himself.

Geoffrey took out a tenner and handed it to Zara. "Do you see that ice cream van, sweetheart?"

"Yes!"

"You go get whatever you want with this, but come back with two Cadbury flakes for me."

"Okay!," said Zara, running off to the van.

"That's very generous."

Geoffrey scoffed. "Generous nothing. Sylvia made me give up sweets six months ago. What the bloody hell for?"

The Doctor laughed. He went with Zara and they returned with ice lollies. They sat on the bench and ate and fed the ducks.

"I skipped work," said Geoffrey. "It was too nice a day to spend indoors."

"It'll flood the rest of the summer," said the Doctor.

Geoffrey scoffed. "Typical."

The Doctor checked his watch. "You should ring Donna."

Zara grinned.

The Doctor gave her a severe look. "Not like that. We'll be gone by then."

She frowned.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," said Geoffrey. "You'll see her soon."

Geoffrey rang Donna. Once the Doctor saw her coming down the path, he scooped up Zara.

"I'm not feeling well..." said Geoffrey. "Still, I suppose that's to be expected."

"We have to go, Geoffrey," said the Doctor. "Donna will be here any moment and thank you."

"For what?," he asked.

"For the quid, for the afternoon, for your daughter," said the Doctor gripping Zara tighter as Donna grew in the distance. "Just do me a favor, tell her she's brilliant."

The Doctor walked away as Donna only caught a figure disappearing. She sat down on the bench next to Geoffrey.

"Who was that?," asked Donna.

"Just a man I met and his daughter." He looked at Donna. "Lovely girl. Just like you were."

Donna shrugged. "Things have changed."

"I wouldn't say that." He took her hand. "You're going to find your way you know."

Donna shook her head. "I doubt it."

"Oh, I think so. There are other men besides that Lance you know."

Donna snorted. "Yeah, I should hope so. I'm done with that, though."

"You'll find him, you know."

"Find who? Prince Charming?" Donna turned. "Dad, are you feeling alright?"

"You're brilliant, you know."

"Dad, why are you talking like-" Donna watched in horror as Geoffrey slumped over. "Dad! Dad! Someone help!"

* * *

The Doctor came back in the TARDIS after handing the envelope with the lottery ticket off to Wilf and Sylvia. He had been hoping to do this whole exchange while Zara slept, but the girl was awake and standing in the console room with crossed arms.

The Doctor knelt down.

"You get to look, that's it."

"Please," said Zara.

* * *

For a moment, Donna Temple-Noble thought she had seen something out of the corner of her eye. That friend of her grandfather's and...

"Here's for you, love," said Wilf handing her an envelope.

"What's that? A bill? Just what I need right now. A lottery ticket? What a cheap present. Who was that? Still, you never know. It's a triple rollover this week. I might get lucky. Oi, Shaun! Come on, we're on a tight schedule. Oxtail soup at two thirty."

Donna looked back.

There was nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner. Stupid real world. Thank you so much for the reads and reviews. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

"Stop, stop, stop!," the Doctor shouted as Jack slammed on the brakes of the Land Rover.

"Is this it?," Amy asked.

The Doctor looked up. He couldn't help but grin. "Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System!"

The Doctor flew out of the car as Mickey stopped in the BMW behind them.

"Is that from something?," asked Rory.

"Shut up and come on!," Amy shouted following the Doctor up the steps.

* * *

Donna looked up. A tall man with funny hair was walking towards her.

He looked like that friend of her grandfather's.

Wait, he was that friend of her grandfather's.

The day she married Shaun, as she was leaving the church, she had caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye.

He had been holding a little girl.

The Doctor stopped and stared at Donna as she eyed him back. He hadn't anticipated this, what it would be like to see her again. He had run so far and so fast to keep that from happening. That last day, watching her walk off with Shaun... he hadn't been next to her. That was the only thing that saved him. Now she was right in front of him...

And to be perfectly honest, the corset top on the dress was doing things to him he couldn't control.

He decided to focus on Zara, who looked to be fine. She was holding on to Donna's waist. "Zara, where have you been, I-"

He was cut off by Donna slapping him across the face.

"So, you remember me?"

"No, actually, I don't. I just have the feeling you took my baby from me so I slapped you to be safe."

She was in a wedding dress. He was getting slapped.

"And we're back where we started," the Doctor muttered, rubbing his cheek.

"I'm not leaving Mummy!," said Zara. She threw her arms around Donna's waist. "You can't make me!"

"He's not going to take you anywhere, sweetheart," said Donna, tightening her grip. She looked at the trail of companions. "What the hell is going on? Aren't you my psychiatrist's daughter?"

Martha nodded. She was also slightly distracted.

"Oh, she's adorable!," Martha said, looking at Zara. "Mickey, isn't she adorable?!"

"Martha..." said the Doctor.

Amy leaned in. "Hi, I'm Amy. Big fan so far."

Donna looked at Zara. "This is Amy? I thought she was younger."

"She used to be," Zara said plaintively.

"Doctor, you still haven't told us what Stanley wants with Donna," said Sarah Jane.

"Thanks, Sarah..." he muttered.

"What?," asked Donna.

"I told you he wasn't nice," said Zara.

"I know, sweetheart," said Donna. "Could everyone just hold up one bloody moment?! I asked what the hell was going on first and no one has bothered to answer me! So, what the hell is going on?!"

They all stood silently and turned to the Doctor.

Donna looked down at Zara. "By the way, those are bad words that you should never say. Now, you, how do I know you? I don't think you're my granddad's mate."

The Doctor shook his head. "I can't, Donna."

"I walk around and I don't know what I'm doing," said Donna. "I am always sad and I don't even know why. I got divorced because I told my husband I was in love with someone else and I didn't even know who. I check baby carriages because I'm looking for something and I don't know what. Every time I'm close to an answer I get a headache and it's like my brain stops. I am missing something, something really important and the most complete I've ever felt is today when I met her, so, please, whatever it is, whatever's going to happen, I don't care, just tell me."

"I tried," pled the Doctor.

"Well, try again!"

"You were dying. All those pieces might kill you."

"I'm dying now," Donna pled.

"I can help," Zara added.

"Doctor," said Amy, "maybe you should-"

"I can't, Amy. Don't you see I can't?!"

Amy took a chance. "Have you ever been to Venice, Donna?"

"Amy, no!," said the Doctor.

"You can't stop me talking," said Amy. She looked back at Donna. "We went to Venice and he said that Casanova tried to steal his wife."

"Casanova?," asked Donna.

"Yeah, did Casanova try to steal you?"

Donna looked at the Doctor. "I'm his wife?"

"What are you doing, Amy?," Rory asked.

"She's obviously realized Zara's her daughter and guess what? She's not dead! So maybe there's more to this than you think!"

Donna stared at the Doctor. She got flashes as Zara grabbed her hand. There was a blue silk dress and a gold mask and music... The night was lit by torches as she walked by the canals. She was dancing and tripped up by a Converse trainer...

"Zara, what are you doing?," asked the Doctor.

"I can help!," she protested.

"Do not do that!," the Doctor growled.

Donna looked at him, appalled. "She's just a little girl! Don't speak to her like that!"

"That's her regenerative energy!"

"Her what?," asked Donna, feeling another headache.

Zara took Donna's hand again.

"The TARDIS told me to!," said Zara as the Doctor ripped her hand away from Donna's wrist.

"Why would the TARDIS tell you to do that?!"

"Don't be so rough on her!," Donna shouted.

"No, Zara-" said Rory.

They were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. Everyone looked at Jack.

"Jack, what are you doing?!," Martha shouted.

"I didn't do anything," said Jack.

"You fired your weapon," said Ianto.

"I think I'd remember if-" Jack looked. He realized he was holding his revolver. "Okay, that's weird."

Rory walked over to Zara and held her free hand up for the Doctor.

"Nail varnish!," the Doctor screeched.

"Not the nail varnish!," said Rory.

"Oh, my God," said Amy.

Donna looked and saw hash marks on Zara's wrist. "Sweetheart, what have you done that for?" She then realized that Amy, the Doctor and Rory all had them.

They were interrupted by another gunshot.

"Seriously," said Jack, "I'm not remembering doing this!"

"Right, so long story short," said the Doctor edging closer to Donna and Zara, "there were these aliens who were living among you for thousands of years and guiding your evolution, only you forget them as soon as you look away."

"Okay," said Martha.

"Only I put a subliminal message in the Moon landing broadcast footage telling you to kill them so you've been doing it and not remembering it..."

"What do you mean I've been standing here killing things?," asked Donna. "I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Right..." said Amy.

"Does anyone see one?," asked the Doctor.

"What am I looking for?," asked Sarah Jane.

"I don't know!," said the Doctor.

There was a rattle of arms and the march of boots as the group closed together.

"Is that them?," asked Donna.

"Well, I wouldn't know, now, would I?," asked the Doctor.

"Well, some bloody help you are," said Donna.

They got the bad news as the church doors opened, revealing Stanley and his men surrounding them.

"Oh, I've also got bad news about your fiancé," said the Doctor. "Again."

"Again?," asked Donna.

"No guns, Jack!," said the Doctor.

Donna leaned in. "I'm not really against the guns until I know what's going on."

Stanley spoke. "Oh, Donna, how I wish things could have worked out differently. You and I could have made something together."

"Yeah? Well, guess what? I don't find balding men attractive." She looked at the Doctor. "You know, you have great hair."

"Oh, back at you," said the Doctor. He looked at Stanley. "There is no point to this."

"I agree. You can't keep her. We both know that. The difference is, I don't need her conscious. Say, Donna, do you remember the Daleks?"

"The what?"

"The Twenty Seven Planets? The Medusa Cascade? Or the Sontarans? The poison sky?"

Donna leaned forward. "It hurts so much..."

Zara grabbed her hands. "Mummy..."

"Stop it!," the Doctor shouted.

"The Adipose? Living fat on the streets of London?"

The Doctor headed for him and the men with guns stopped him as Donna keeled to the ground. Zara crawled beside her, shaking with her tears as she curled against her.

"Please, stop," the Doctor said, looking at Stanley. "I'll do anything, whatever you want, just let her go."

"You said that before," Donna said weakly.

"Oh, Doctor, your fate will come soon enough. As for Donna, I could destroy her now," said Stanley. "The Most Important Woman in Creation. Most dangerous, more like."

"Please, Donna, don't think about it. Zara, stop what you're doing!"

"Got a plan?," asked Jack.

"These are Stanley's supermen, yes?," asked the Doctor.

"Only the best," said Stanley.

"So," said the Doctor, "I suppose you've controlled all their access to education and media."

"Of course."

"Amy, your video phone."

"My video phone?," asked Amy.

The Doctor held out his hand for Amy which was now covered with hash marks. "Your video phone."

Amy reached for her nearest pocket and pulled out the mobile, quickly coming up with it. She hurried to the video and quickly came to the video holding it out so the supermen could see.

"You should kill us on sight..." a strange, tinned voice said.

"What?," asked Donna.

"That's preposterous-" Stanley shook his head. "What were we talking about?"

The supermen began shooting and the group all rushed to the ground.

"Run!," shouted the Doctor grabbing Donna, Zara and heading for the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Go figure. So, thank you for the reads and reviews and sorry for the delay. I was still getting over my flu when migraines began to strike and I didn't want to publish this chapter without knowing when I could follow up. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Before the Doctor had realized what happened, Jack had asked him where the TARDIS was and he had answered. Upon their arrival, before he knew what happened, the gang was heading into the TARDIS.

"No, no, no!," the Doctor chasing after as Zara led Donna in.

As they walked inside, the TARDIS grumbled.

"Don't you start!," the Doctor shouted.

Donna looked up in amazement. "What just..."

"Oh, I used to love this moment," the Doctor muttered.

"I don't understand what Zara's done wrong," said Martha.

"She's giving up her life force!," the Doctor bellowed. "Someday when she needs to regenerate, she may not be able to and stop doing that!"

Zara plaintively let go of Donna's hand.

"Baby, if it's going to hurt you, I don't want you to do it," said Donna.

"But you need help!," Zara protested.

Donna shook her head. "Not if it hurts you."

The TARDIS growled.

"Okay, it's never done that before," said Rory. "Is anyone else a bit concerned?"

"What do you mean that's not Zara?!," the Doctor shouted. "I think I'd know my own-"

The Doctor stopped and looked back at Zara still in Donna's arms as some white ooze appeared to drip off Zara and onto the floor.

"Okay, what the hell was that?," asked Donna.

"Daddy?," Zara asked timidly.

The Doctor walked over with the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at Zara.

"What are you bleeping her for?," Donna demanded.

"Oh, no," said the Doctor. "No, no, no, no..."

Martha knelt down by the ooze on the floor. "It almost looks like the Flesh..."

"What's the Flesh?," asked Donna. "Stop bleeping her!"

"It's not her," said the Doctor.

"What?," asked Amy. "What do you mean that's not Zara?"

"The Flesh, it's this sort of clone maker..." said Martha.

"A clone?," asked Ianto.

"Yes," said the Doctor. "A clone imbued with all the feelings, desires and..."

"I don't understand," said Donna.

"Donna, I can't-"

"Tell me now!," Donna shouted.

"This is a copy of Zara. A very good copy. The TARDIS knew it probably because she..."

"Because she what?," asked Donna.

"Because she... well, she started here..."

Donna looked around. "Seriously? Are there like other rooms?"

"Yes, there are- why is this what you're asking me?!"

"Mummy..."

The Doctor watched as Donna turned to Zara and gave her a kiss. "It's going to be alright, sweetheart. Just you wait and see. Mummy will sort it."

"Maybe if I can back track the signal..." the Doctor said, manipulating the TARDIS controls. "No, no, no!"

"What?," asked Amy.

Jack jumped to the console. "Someone on the other end."

"The other end?," asked Martha.

The Doctor groaned and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at Donna and Zara.

Donna knew that look.

"What? What do you need?"

"I'm going to hate myself for this."

"What?"

"Any moment whoever's on the other end is going to realize that I know they have Zara and they are going to cut off the signal and before that happens, I need as much information as I can get..."

"It's fluctuating, Doctor," said Jack.

"And it's you, Donna. She needs you because you're the most powerful link there is to her and that's how I'm going to find her."

"What do I have to do?," asked Donna.

"Zara can do it all, but your mind may not be able to withstand it."

"My daughter is in danger," said Donna. "I'll be the one to decide what I can withstand."

The Doctor sighed and looked at Zara. "Do what I showed you."

Zara looked at him questioningly, then Donna.

"It's alright, love," said Donna.

Donna stood still as Zara put her hands on her face.

Then it was as if she was going through the rabbit hole. There were vistas and creatures Donna never could have imagined, but they all felt real. There was the Doctor and there was Zara. There was a life she didn't remember and another life that seemed real, but was fleeting.

But for the first time in years, Donna Noble felt whole.

"The signal's going," said Jack.

"What does that mean?," asked Amy.

The Doctor took Zara by the shoulders. "Zara, I am coming for you. Whatever happens, however far, however hard, I will find you because you are my Zara."

Donna had another flash, like it had been a dream, of seeing the Doctor in that same white room Zara had been born in. He was holding her tiny, newly born body in a blanket against his chest, whispering to her in Gallifreyan.

Gallifreyan. She remembered Gallifreyan now.

She remembered how instantly smitten and in love the Doctor had been with Zara. She remembered thinking she had been right about him, about how good he could be with their baby.

The Doctor was trying to hold back, that he was ready to break. Donna turned Zara back to her.

"You don't need to be scared," said Donna. "We love you and we'll protect you."

Zara nodded. "I love you, too."

"Wherever you are, whatever's happening to you, I am coming for you and you don't need to be scared. Whoever has you, they need to be scared. Very, very scared and I want you to tell them that your mummy says so."

"I'm glad I found you," said Zara.

"Well, I'm going to return the favor," said Donna. "Then nothing is ever going to separate us again."

"You always get me," Zara said smiling.

Donna pulled her close to hug her and just as she did, Zara disappeared, just a puddle of the flesh left in her place. Donna stared in horror and looked back at the Doctor.

"I need your hand," the Doctor said, his voice cracking.

Donna tried to stand, unsteady on her feet. Ianto helped her up.

The Doctor held out a wire from the TARDIS console. "This won't hurt."

He put it against her hand and was surprised when she didn't make a sound.

"What?," asked Donna. "I knew it would hurt the moment you said it wouldn't."

"What's that for?," asked Martha.

"Telepathic connection, the TARDIS will calculate the coordinates of Zara's location based on her psychic link with Donna."

"And we can find her with that?," asked Donna.

"We, no, no, no-"

"I told her I was coming-"

"Donna, I don't know how long your mind-"

Donna fumed. "London! H.C. Clements, Empress of the Racnoss, beginning of the Earth, Adipose, Pompeii, Lucius Caecilius, Ood, Sontarans, Jenny, Agatha Christie, oh, yeah, my fake family, tart dressed as the Stig-"

"Tart dressed as the Stig?," asked Rory.

"Yeah, might want to keep quiet about that one," the Doctor muttered.

Donna kept going. "The Oracle! Antony and Cleopatra! Barcelona! Goo Monsters! Midnight! Mayantha! And you begged me to stay! You begged me to stay, just to leave me as the idiot I used to be-"

"No, Donna, you were never an idiot-"

"My mind is holding up just fine. Now, excuse me while I go to the wardrobe and see if I can find any of my clothes."

Donna started walking back as the others stared.

"Your things aren't in the wardrobe," said the Doctor. "You'll find everything you got on the TARDIS back where you left it."

Donna didn't answer and just left.

"So," said Jack, "we need a plan of attack."

"We need help," the Doctor said, putting the coordinates in the TARDIS console. "I have some favors to call in."

* * *

Donna found her room easily. It was all just as she had left it the morning they went to Shan Shen, her dress from Venice was on the chair next to the bed along with the gold masks she and the Doctor had bought. Her pajamas were on the bed.

"God," said Donna. "Please tell me he hasn't left the dirty laundry in the hamper for all this time."

The TARDIS let Donna know she had dealt with it.

"Well, thanks," said Donna. "He's not much for housekeeping. Sulking, though, he's good at sulking."

Donna went to the cupboard and found some clothes and boots. She took off her wedding dress and put on the things from her old life. Her real life.

* * *

The Doctor had gathered the Silurians, Madame Vastra and the other Jenny when he noticed Amy, Martha and Sarah Jane talking in the corner. He looked at Mickey.

"What are they doing?," he asked.

Mickey shrugged.

The Doctor turned to Rory. "What are they doing?"

"Uh, I don't know," said Rory.

The Doctor turned to see Jack talking to a Silurian. "Jack! Stop flirting!"

"So," said Madame Vastra, "are we expecting anyone else to join our crusade?"

Amy left the circle first, Sarah Jane and Martha followed behind her.

"Doctor, don't you think you should talk to Donna?," asked Amy.

"You were gossiping!," the Doctor accused.

"Don't you think you owe her an explanation?," asked Martha.

"I've already explained."

"Yes and that went well," said Sarah Jane.

"She doesn't want to talk to me," said the Doctor.

"Is she still technically your wife?," asked Amy. "Or is River Song-"

"Amy, things will be much easier if you do not mention River Song while Donna is here," said the Doctor.

"Oh, so she is still your wife," said Amy.

"I have things to do, Amy," said the Doctor.

"I could take us to pick up your next friend," Jack offered.

"Yes, excellent idea," said Sarah Jane.

The Doctor realized there was no fighting as he stared at a wall of Amy, Martha and Sarah Jane. He put in some coordinates. "Amy, tell Captain Avery we need he, his crew and his ship. Jack, don't flirt with the mermaid."

"The what?," asked Jack.

After she dressed, Donna made her way further back in the TARDIS as if she was being guided. A door creaked open. Donna went inside to see toys strewn on the rug. There was paper and crayons and an easel. A bed made of twisted wood. A mural of forest creatures she didn't recognize and the same circular designs she saw on the console. There were books, some in English, some in Gallifreyan. Donna sat on the bed. There was a shelf above the headboard lined with pictures. Some of what seemed to be a cat-person and her kitten-people? There was Amy and Rory. The biggest one was in the middle and it was of her. On the pillow, she saw Mayantha's Scallofrax and she knew it was much loved, probably having gone on every adventure of Zara and the Doctor's.

Donna looked up. The Doctor was in the room.

"Sorry. I'll come back."

"No, don't leave..." Donna said. "I can hear myself singing."

"Yeah."

"Why can I hear myself singing?"

"The TARDIS has a record of everything that ever happened or for that matter everything that ever will happen inside, she plays you singing for Zara."

Donna snorted. "Too bad you didn't take on anyone who could sing better."

"It's her mother's voice, it's all she's ever wanted..."

"Then why did you take her away?"

"I had to, Donna."

"Why?"

"I just-"

"Why?!," Donna shouted.

"Because you would have died! Because the only other choice was letting you lie in hospital for the rest of your life! Because you never would have wanted that for her!"

"What I would have wanted?!," Donna screeched. "What I would have wanted is to have my baby!"

"I know."

"God! You're insufferable! You say things like that and then you go and do whatever you want-"

"What I want?! Do you think I wanted this?"

"I think you just like to suffer! I think you just want to be the most miserable man in the universe!"

"Oh, yeah, I really enjoy this-"

"Oh, here we go, curse of the Time Lords!"

The Doctor paused. "You remember curse of the Time Lords?"

"Why not? You say it enough!"

"How's your head?"

"My head's bloody fine! It's my daughter that needs help!"

"She's my daughter as well. She and this ship are all I have in the universe."

"You had me..." said Donna. "You always had me and you just let me go."

"I let you go to save you."

"You should have found another way!"

The Doctor sighed and sat down in the rocking chair next to the bed.

"Where have you been sleeping?," Donna asked gruffly.

"What?"

"I've been to our room and nothing's moved which means you haven't been in there so where have you been sleeping?"

"I don't need much sleep, Donna."

Donna shook her head. "Oh, you poor idiot."

"Donna, what Zara did may have healed your mind temporarily, but we still need a long term solution to get rid of the remainder of the excess regenerative energy."

"Like what?"

"Nothing you wouldn't slap me for."

"You had better not wipe my brain again."

"No..."

"Never mind. I can wait. What's the plan to get Zara?"

* * *

Zara awoke. She was in some sort of capsule. It was all white and cold.

Nothing happened.

Maybe they would just leave her alone. Maybe wherever she was, Mummy and Daddy would just come get her.

The capsule opened with a hatch. Zara sat up, feeling weird, like she had been sleeping a really long time. There was a woman there with an eye patch and a black leather suit. There were soldiers all around and a row of men in robes.

She remembered what Mummy had said. Not to be afraid. Daddy had said he was coming. He would come. He never lied about things like that.

"So, little one..." the lady began.

"I have a message," Zara said.

The woman smiled. Zara decided she didn't like her smile. "You have a message?"

"Yes..." Zara gathered her courage while the soldiers stared. "My mummy is coming."

The woman with the eye patch fumed. The soldiers exchanged glances.

"My mummy is coming and she says you should be scared."

That worried them.

Zara smiled.

* * *

A/N: See what I meant? You can look for an update hopefully early tomorrow if not sooner which is in San Antonio time.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. A bit later than I intended. Early Hawaii time would have been a better descriptor. Thanks for the reads and reviews. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Zara wasn't scared.

She wasn't scared.

She had a life that no one else could remember, an alternate time line her father had explained when she finally told him about it. One without him. It had just been she, Mummy, Gran, Great Grampy and Grampy there. That was how she had known Grampy in the park that day he bought the ice lollies and they fed the ducks. The stars went out. Lots of bad things happened, but she knew Mummy would get back to her and she had.

So she believed her mummy when she said she was coming. She believed Daddy. They had been separated. She had stopped existing and they had come back together.

These people didn't like Daddy. Sometimes she could hear them lecturing about "The Doctor" and how dangerous he was, how he had to be stopped and all the tricks he used.

The eye patch lady was called Madame Kovarian. She wouldn't leave Zara alone. She kept coming back, telling her lies about Daddy, saying he had done horrible things. Very bad things that Zara didn't like to think about.

So she started singing. This only made Madame Kovarian angry. She ordered the soldiers to hold her down and Zara hit one in the face, making his nose bleed.

"You're stupid!," Zara shouted at Madame Kovarian. "My daddy wouldn't hurt anyone! You can't make me hate him!"

* * *

Donna slept in Zara's bed and awoke next to Mister Scallofrax. It was like awakening in a different world even though she was back home.

Or was she?

She walked out to the console room and was a bit startled by what she found.

Pirates.

World War II aviators, one of whom was flirting with Jack.

Judoon.

Lizard people.

A Sontaran.

A fat, blue man.

"Donna?," asked Martha.

"What the hell is going on?!," Donna shouted.

Everyone stopped and stared.

The Doctor looked up at Donna.

She waved her hand around. "Is all of this somehow a plan or are you just having a party?!"

"Right, Donna..."

"Here's a plan," said Donna, "we go wherever Zara is, you go all Oncoming Storm on whoever has her and I beat whoever stands between me and her to a bloody pulp."

"I like the red woman's plan," said the Sontaran. "She has fight in her!"

Donna pointed at Rory's Centurion outfit. "Why is Rory in fancy dress?!"

"Why not?," asked Jack.

She now turned to Jack. "You shut up. You can shag whoever you like after we're done."

"Really?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Not me. Is someone going to tell me something?!"

"Well, we can't because you're shouting!," snapped the Doctor.

"Oh, please, don't let me stop you from telling me how the pirates work into the plan to rescue our daughter. Is she in Neverland?" Donna paused. "Wait, Neverland's not real is it?"

"Of course Neverland's not real!"

"How should I know? You have pirates in here!"

"They're not from Neverland, Donna!"

"Perhaps now would be the appropriate moment to tell Donna about the plan," said a lizard woman in Victorian dress.

The Doctor shook his head.

"Oh, no, you don't!," said Donna. "You do not get to cut me out. I said I was coming for her and I am coming for her."

"Donna..."

"You took her away before and you're not taking her away from me ever again. Now, does someone want to tell me the plan?!"

Jack turned the monitor towards Donna.

"So," said Jack, "this is Demon's Run."

* * *

Colonel Manton didn't like what was happening. This whole thing was slipping out of his control. The child. The child simply posed too much of a threat.

"You've awoken the sleeping giant," said Manton.

"Excuse me?," asked Kovarian.

"You never said anything about the Noble woman."

"Stanley was supposed to deal with her and he failed so miserably. What about her?"

"That woman is known throughout the universe for protecting her children. We had the others-"

"Courage, Colonel Manton. Courage."

"Tell that to the Daleks..."

Kovarian stopped and looked pityingly at Manton. "She is nothing. An anomaly."

"That child is too dangerous."

Kovarian laughed. "Her?"

One of the clerics stepped forward. "Colonel Manton, the assembly."

* * *

Donna had gone on with Madame Vastra and Jenny. They had gone through an airlock and were hiding in a cupboard while they waited for the battle to start. The pirate spaceship was outside, along with the space spitfires or whatever from the War. The Doctor was planning an entrance while the other Children of Time had their tasks throughout the asteroid.

Donna had hers: find Zara.

"How do you know the Doctor?," Donna finally asked.

Madame Vastra looked at her. "I met him many years ago when I was awoken by the construction of the London Underground. I avenged the deaths of my sisters on the tunnel diggers. The Doctor showed me the error of my ways."

"Okay then..." said Donna, trying to decide which part of the story was weirdest.

"Zara was just two then," said Jenny.

"Wait, you know Zara?," asked Donna.

"Yes," said Jenny. "Very sweet. Very clever."

Donna smiled.

"She missed you," said Jenny. "They both did."

"Yeah, well..." said Donna. "They shouldn't have."

Jack came on over the communicator. "They're starting. Moving in on comms."

* * *

Zara's window overlooked the assembly. She had seen a few since she woke up. They wanted her to watch and listen to them say bad things about Daddy.

"He is not the devil. He is not a god. He is not a goblin, or a phantom or a trickster. The Doctor is a living, breathing man, and as I look around this room I know one thing. We're sure as hell going to fix that."

The soldiers cheered as Zara shuddered.

"On this day, in this place, the Doctor will fall!," Manton declared.

The soldiers cheered again.

"The man who talks, the man who reasons, the man who lies will meet the perfect answer!"

"Some of you have wondered why have we have allied ourselves with the Headless Monks. Perhaps you should have wondered why we call them Headless. It's time you knew what these guys have sacrificed for faith. As you all know, it is a Level One Heresy, punishable by death, to lower the hood of a Headless Monk. But by the divine grant of the Papal Mainframe herself, on this one and only occasion, I can show you the truth. Because these guys never can be persuaded."

Manton lowered the hood of one of the monks. Zara covered her mouth to keep sound from coming out. There was no head, just a tied up neck and Manton went down the row.

"They can never be afraid. They can never be-"

Before Manton could say anything, the final hood lowered, revealing...

"Daddy!," Zara shouted.

"Surprised?," the Doctor suggested. "Sorry, you know me, see a robe, I have to put it on. No hats, though, suppose you don't need one when you don't have a head. It would just sort of be sitting on your neck, wouldn't it?"

The soldiers all pulled out their guns and pointed them at the Doctor. The monks raised their swords and turned the power on.

"Oh, you're going to kill me," said the Doctor. "Blimey, this is not a friendly crowd. Still, no one's got an axe. That's something."

"Doctor, you will come with me right now," said Manton.

"Sorry, a bit busy. Three minutes, forty seconds."

Kovarian turned to her henchmen. "Where is she?"

"Zara!," the Doctor shouted, dragging out his daughter's name. "I'll be with you in just a moment! I have banana biscuits waiting in the TARDIS!"

"There is no escape, Doctor."

"Yeah, get back to me in about three minutes, thirty seconds," said the Doctor.

The lights went out.

"Doctor, show yourself!," said Manton.

"Oh, well, you know me, I'm a monk!"

"It's him!," someone shouted.

The soldier fired his gun and the monks fought back.

* * *

Zara cowered down. She looked up to see Madame Kovarian and her guards.

"Come now."

"No!," said Zara.

"Grab her."

"No!," Zara screamed. "Daddy! Mummy!"

* * *

Down the corridor, Donna heard a blood-curdling scream. Not thinking, she ran towards it. She didn't know how or where, but she had heard it before.

"Donna!," Vastra called after her. "Donna, wait!"

Donna ran into the observation room. Kovarian's soldiers fired their weapons at her as Zara shrieked. Jenny used her sword to fend off the laser shots. Kovarian used her extensible tongue to flick away the guns.

"Seriously?," Donna asked, looking at Vastra.

"How about you two back away from the girl now, dears?," asked Jenny.

"Why don't you two back off before the girl gets hurt?," Kovarian asked, wrapping her hands around Zara's neck.

"I'll wring your neck," said Donna.

Zara looked to be crying and she had that same desperate look again. Everything started going gold for Donna again as she moved towards Zara.

A pulse went out. Kovarian, the soldiers, Vastra and Jenny all fell. Donna fell to her knees as Zara ran to her.

Donna shook her head. "Don't do that healing thing. It's the real you now, you can't risk it."

Donna looked up. The Doctor was standing over her. Rory and Martha started tending to Jenny and Vastra.

"Donna?"

"I don't know, I, she was going to hurt Zara and..."

The soldiers started to rouse.

"Whoa, there, boys," said Jack, slapping the first pair of handcuffs on them, "can't have that."

Donna shook her head. "I don't understand what I did."

"Psychic energy pulse, a sort of Time Lord regressive mutation..."

"What? I'm a Time Lord X-Man now?"

"The excess regenerative energy, it acts when your primal instincts are called upon."

"Zara."

"Yes, Zara," the Doctor confirmed.

"Help me up," said Donna.

The Doctor took Donna's hand and helped her to her feet. With the extra help, she pushed Zara back towards the Doctor and walked towards Madame Kovarian as Ianto handcuffed her.

She slugged her across the chin, leaving the woman's lip bloodied.

"Who the hell are you people and what did you want with my baby?"

"Donna..."

"No, sorry, we've done the fancy dress lizard people bit and now we're getting to the part I'm interested in."

"She's needed," said Kovarian.

"For what?," asked Donna.

"She's a weapon."

"My baby is not a weapon, try to get that through your one-eyed skull and you can let anyone else out there who thinks so know that."

"We'll take her to Captain Avery," said Jack.

Kovarian looked at the Doctor.

"Oh, sorry, no pirate's life for you, just a holiday in the Stormcage. Well, when I say holiday, I really mean life sentence. Still, lovely weather if you like constant thunderstorms."

The others all left.

Zara turned to the Doctor. "Daddy, they wanted me to hurt you! They kept saying bad things!"

"It's alright, Zara. I know you wouldn't hurt me or anyone for that matter."

"Mummy?"

Donna knelt back down to Zara. "It's alright, baby. I've got you back now and no one is ever going to take you away again. You're going to be stuck with me forever until you're sick of me and I'm hounding you about grandchildren."

The Doctor smiled wryly.

"Donna, you can't keep hurting yourself-"

"Well, I'm not a fan of it, either, Martian. Got any ideas?"

"None that you'll like at the moment."

"You keep on saying that."

"Come on, Mummy," said Zara, grabbing Donna's arm.

"Zara, be gentle with your mother."

Donna snorted. "What? Like you?"

"Come on!," said Zara, pulling Donna along.

"Zara, where are we going?"

Zara led them down the corridor.

"Daddy, open this one! They're in here!"

"Who's in here?"

"Can't you hear them, Daddy?"

The Doctor frowned and took out his sonic screwdriver.

"Doctor?," asked Donna.

He went inside.

"Doctor?," Donna asked, following after him.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thank you for the reads and reviews. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Donna held Zara's hand tightly as she followed the Doctor into another of the base's gleaming white rooms. This one seemed more complex than the one Zara had been in, monitors and test tubes everywhere.

"It's some kind of laboratory. Genetics laboratory..." the Doctor mused.

The Doctor walked over. Donna followed with Zara and peered beside the Doctor as he stared gobsmacked at what seemed to be two futuristic covered cots.

With two babies. One brown-skinned. One ginger-haired, looking like Zara. Monitors displayed their vitals.

"They're in some kind of stasis..."

"Doctor?," asked Donna.

"Zara wasn't the only one they wanted. They were growing their own Time Lords," said the Doctor.

"Time Lords?," asked Donna. "How? There aren't any-"

He turned and looked at her seriously. "Donna."

Donna paused. "I don't understand. Who do they belong to?"

"I don't know."

The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver and waved it over the cots.

"I don't know."

"Doctor."

"No, really, I don't know, because whoever they belong to hasn't been born yet."

Donna sighed. "Okay, you're going to have to make it a little easier for me to follow-"

"They're our grandchildren. Boy and a girl."

Donna looked back at the cots. "Our grandchildren? Then Zara-"

The Doctor shook his head. "Not Zara."

"You mean we're going to have other children?," asked Donna.

"Well..." said the Doctor, tugging his ear.

Before he could come up with a response, he realized Donna had thrown her arms around him and was kissing him. Zara beamed up at them.

"What?," asked the Doctor. "What? What?"

"What's wrong?," asked Donna.

"You..." the Doctor was having difficulty putting together the thought. It had seemed so impossible. "You forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you. I forgave you the moment I remembered."

"It didn't seem like it."

"You stupid Martian. If I didn't forgive you for all the stupid things you did she wouldn't exist," said Donna. "Besides, I had to because your real problem is going to be my mum once she finds out she missed out on four years with this one."

"Your mother..." said the Doctor, recalling that his fate was once again tied to Sylvia Noble.

"What do we do?," asked Donna, looking at the babies. "Do we try to find their parents?"

The Doctor shook his head. "We can't. We'd be crossing our own time lines, getting too much knowledge of our own futures."

"Well, we can't just leave them here," said Donna. "God knows what they want with them."

"No, we can't leave them."

Donna realized the plan. "So, you're saying we have to adopt our own grandchildren before we've had whoever their parent is?"

"Their father."

Donna looked at the Doctor in shock.

"Surprise, it's a boy. Well, at least it will be a boy... at some point."

"This is getting to be a bit much," said Donna. "I'm a gran and I'm forty-three."

"Yeah," agreed the Doctor.

"I bet, though, it might soften up my mum just a bit if she got to be around for her great-grandchildren."

"And Wilf's great-great-grandchildren."

"Doctor?"

They turned to see Amy and Rory coming in.

"Amy! Rory!," exclaimed Zara, running to hug them.

"What's going on?," asked Amy.

"Well, meet our grandchildren," said the Doctor.

"Your grandchildren?," asked Rory.

"Yeah, we'll introduce you to their father just as soon as he's born."

Rory nodded. "Okay, this hasn't been a weird day at all."

"Says the nurse who's still dressed as a Roman," Donna quipped.

The Doctor waved the sonic screwdriver over the cots and the babies awoke. The ginger girl started screaming. Donna rushed to pick her up and soothe her.

"Well, spot the Noble with this one, eh?," asked Donna. "You're alright. Gran's saved you from the mean eye patch lady."

The Doctor picked up the boy who was decidedly more relaxed.

"Hi," said the Doctor.

Martha, Mickey and Jack ran in.

"Okay, what's happening now?," asked Mickey.

"Oh, these are our grandchildren," said the Doctor.

Martha looked at Donna. "Donna?"

"I know. I'm working through it."

"Can I hold one?," asked Zara.

"I think later, sweetheart," said Donna. "When we're back on the TARDIS."

"So, Zara's their auntie?," asked Jack.

Now Zara looked startled.

"It's okay, Zara, you'll work through it," said Donna.

* * *

After all matters had been settled and the babies put to bed in the new nursery the TARDIS had waiting, Donna sat on Zara's bed, running her fingers through her hair. She couldn't get enough of that or taking in her scent.

"Did you miss me?," Zara asked.

"What? Of course I missed you. That's why I came to get you."

"No, before," said Zara. "Before I came to find you."

Donna smiled. "I missed you then, too. I didn't even know what I was missing, but I missed you more than anything."

Zara smiled. Donna handed her Mister Scallofrax.

"Tomorrow, you're going to meet my mum and my grandfather," said Donna.

"Do you think they'll like me?"

"Of course they will. How could anyone not like you?"

"And the babies?"

"Yeah, we're working on that."

"What are you going to call them?"

"I'm working on that as well," said Donna.

"What are you thinking?"

Donna smiled. "You're just a bit demanding, do you know that?"

"Wouldn't know where she got that from," said the Doctor.

Donna looked up at him. How did he manage to slink in places? "No, no idea where she might have gotten that from."

"I'm sorry. Are you accusing me?"

"What do you think?"

The Doctor looked at Zara. "You need sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Which is when you need it most," said the Doctor. "Your mother and I will be nearby."

Donna kissed Zara on the forehead. "I love you. Good night."

"I love you, too, Mummy."

"Donna..." said the Doctor, motioning his head at the door that led to the next room.

"I should check on the babies," said Donna.

"I've put Martha, Amy and Rory on that," said the Doctor. "I think Mickey's getting dragged into it as well. Come on."

* * *

Donna followed him through the doorway to the next room, which turned out to be their bedroom. The clutter she had left had been cleared and there were lit candles as well as flowers. Donna eyed the display curiously. The Old Girl had plans.

"So," said Donna, "what's this plan of yours to save my brain from blowing up?"

"Champagne?," asked the Doctor as Donna noticed he had a bottle.

Donna took the glass. "You're acting funny."

"Well..."

"What is this plan? Why did we have to pawn off Zara and the babies to do it?"

"So, you've forgiven me."

"Yes."

"Well, that's a start. Truth is, I didn't realize it until now, Zara did do some repair to your mind when she was born. It just wasn't enough. We needed to repeat the process."

"Repeat the process? Repeat what process?," asked Donna. She paused. "You mean..."

"Make a baby," he squeaked, looking away from Donna.

Donna's jaw dropped. "We could have solved this with me just having a baby?"

"I didn't realize! And you were unconscious!"

"What about when I wasn't?"

"You couldn't remember me!"

"One night stand."

"Donna! I'm not going to have a one night stand with you! Besides, what if you had remembered me?"

"I don't know. Blindfold?"

"Donna!"

"Not the strangest thing we've done and besides that, beats walking around without my memory and my family."

"So, I guess we should..."

"Hold your horses, Martian," said Donna. "I have terms."

"Terms?," asked the Doctor. "We need to conceive a child to repair your mind and you want to discuss terms?"

"First off," said Donna, "first thing in the morning, we go back to my wedding or what's left of it because frankly, I really look good in that dress and we need to explain everything to my family."

"There's no going back on-"

"Yeah, well, I never got there and I don't know what happened so unless you have a convincing reason why it'll blow up the universe..."

The Doctor sighed. "Fine."

"Second, we need a house in London."

"A house?!," the Doctor screeched.

"I'm not saying we're leaving the TARDIS or not travelling, but Zara needs friends and school. From what I understand, the only other little girl she ever played with is married and worked as a kissogram until recently."

"There were the kittens!"

Donna frowned. "Is that why she was licking her arm to clean her face earlier?"

"Yeah, I don't quite know what to do about that," the Doctor admitted.

"Besides the need to play with other human children, no offense to the kittens, we can promise my mum she can see her and the babies more that way. Of course, we could always live with my mother..."

"Donna..."

"Someplace nice with a garden in a good catchment area. Actually, sod the catchment area, I won the lottery."

"Fine," said the Doctor.

"Third," said Donna, wrapping her arms around the Doctor's neck, "you are never leaving me again and our family is going to be together forever."

"Forever is-"

"Oh, don't start the last of the Time Lords rubbish, again. You're not the last. Also, a bit of a mood killer. No woman's going to want to sleep with you. Well, at least no woman in her right mind," Donna teased, picking her champagne glass back up.

"Oh, mad Donna, that one," the Doctor teased back. "Blind Donna. Charity Donna."

"Keep it up, skinny boy."

"Donna, a note of caution, it's been a while."

"You mean you've forgotten?"

"Hardly."

Donna sat on the bed. "Well, are you going to get started or just keep chatting?"

"Are you saying I can't?"

Donna leaned back on the bed and smiled. "Show me what you've got, Time Boy."


End file.
